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Microsoft's Surface RT tablet is set to go on sale in just 10 days, and the company is finally ready to reveal price details and tech specs. It's official: Surface RT will sell for $499 for the 32 GB model, $599 for 32 GB with black Touch Cover, and $699 for 64 GB with black touch cover. Pre-orders begin today at 9:00am PT.

What about all those colorful Touch Covers that the company showed off at the Surface unveiling? Those will be sold separately for $120 each. If you prefer the Type Cover, which features mechanical keys, you're looking at $130. Many were speculating that Microsoft would bring Surface to market at an incredibly low $199, but obviously, that extremem measure of cost-cutting just isn't possible. Wanna pre-order one now? Head on over to the Surface page to do so.

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When Microsoft revealed Surface to the world, we were pretty impressed. It looked like a highly-capable platform that, if it lived up to its promises, would be a major player in the tablet space. However, we also know that the iPad rules the roost. In fact, most consumers don't want tablets so much as they want iPads. What would Microsoft do with Surface to gain attention as a solid differentiator? It looks like it's gonna compete on price.

The Microsoft Surface tablet is nearing launch, and as such, the company is releasing more information as it pertains to what consumers should expect. Office 2013 RT edition will ship on the lower-end model, but it will have a bunch of features stripped from the software in order to ensure a smooth tablet experience. Oh, and also it'll be a preview version rather than the full, final version that's set to arrive in early 2013.

Expect Office 2013 RT to be missing features like macros, third-party add-ons, and VBA support. A few other "small features" will also be cut, with Microsoft pointing to battery life and reliability as the culprits.

Now that Microsoft has revealed its plan to do battle in the tablet market, Microsoft Surface (as well as its super-cool accessories, the Touch Cover and Type Cover,) we thought you'd appreciate a look at the teaser video that Microsoft put together to unveil the product. Check it out after the break.

The Touch Cover is a futuristic multitouch keyboard accessory for the Microsoft Surface tablet that brings a thin profile and a measure of protection, but for those of you who'd prefer a tried and true tactile keyboard with real trackpad buttons, you'll wanna get a look at the Type Cover. Since the Touch Cover is a capacitive touch keyboard without any moving keys, it's the slimmer of the two, measuring in at 3mm thin compared to the Type Cover's 5mm thickness.

The first accessory announced for the new Microsoft Surface tablet today is the Touch Cover. A seemingly brilliant take on the tablet cover accessory, the Touch Cover serves as both a protective cover for Surface, as well as a full multitouch keyboard. You just open up the Surface kickstand, and the Touch Cover lays flat (3mm thin) and even registers typing faster than any other keyboard currently on the market, according to Microsoft. You get a full keyboard and touchpad. If that isn't your jam, you can opt for the Surface Type Cover instead.

The rumor mill was calling for a new Microsoft tablet to be announced today, and thats exactly what happened. Just a few minutes ago, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the Microsoft Surface tablet. The Microsoft Surface is a companion to Windows 8, with Microsoft saying that it's "a tablet that's a great PC, and a PC that's a great tablet." The hardware is 9.3mm thin with edges beveled at 22 degrees. The casing is all magnesium, which is a first for a computer, making the Surface weigh in at 1.5 pounds. Oh, and it's also got a 10.6-inch display, so it's here to compete with the big boys. As you'd expect, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are present, as is a built-in kickstand, Gorilla Glass, and an amazingly thin 3mm cover that also doubles as a keyboard for touch typing.

Surface will be available in the model we just detailed, as well as a Pro model that supports a higher resolution display. It's got the same chassis, same kickstand, and supports the same accessories, but this model wuns full Windows 8 Pro rather than just Windows RT. It also supports digital ink by way of a stylus. When the Surface detects the pen, it stops accepting touch input, making it easy to write on. The upgraded model also has a DisplayPort, allowing you to plug it in to a larger monitor, this giving you the regular, full PC experience.

We’ve been fans of Catan since we first played it, interestingly enough, on the Xbox 360 as an Xbox Live Arcade download. Since then, we’ve enjoyed many hours of the strategic masterpiece both online and in social settings. Recently, we paid a visit to Seattle’s Vectorform, a developer for the Microsoft Surface platform. They gave us a look at their take on Settlers of Catan using the Surface tabletop, and even included a few very cool and interesting real-world peripherals. We quickly realized how interesting Surface can make tabletop gaming. Check out the video above to see what me mean.

Of course the Microsoft Surface is a gimme, but the X-Desk may be some competition. It is 52-inches, as opposed to MS’s 30-inch surface, and also reacts to multi-touch input and zoom. Interact with maps and images and play media files. It can also be used with PMPs and cell phones via Bluetooth. The X-Desk, which was developed by Impressx and Engage and runs with Epson 3 LCD projectors, will cost you $20,000, about the same as the Surface.